Acquerello organic carnaroli rice
If you're going to spend 20 or 30 minutes on your feet stirring something, you'll want your labour to be rewarded. That's why it's worth seeking out good-quality Arborio or Carnaroli rice for making risotto, and Acquerello organic rice, now available from Harvey Nichols food halls, is the best I've come across. I'm not alone in singing the praises of these fat, polished grains; they are used by Michelin-starred chefs, including Heston Blumenthal, Alain Ducasse and Paul Bocuse.
Acquerello Organic Carnaroli (€6.75 for a vacuum-packed 500g tin) has been produced by the Rondolino family on their farm at the base of the Alps since 1935, and what makes it special is the ageing process the rice undergoes. The unhulled grains are stored in chilled silos after harvest, for between one and three years.
"Aging renders starch, proteins and vitamins less water soluble, improving the consistency of the grains and enabling them to absorb more cooking liquid," the company claims. The rice is then polished by rubbing grain against grain, using a machine invented in 1875, in a painstaking process that preserves the nutritional values and leaves the rice with a lovely golden hue rather than a bright white colour, which can be an indication that the rice has been bleached.
Acquerello rice was used by Harvey Nichols executive chef Thomas Houghton in a black summer truffle risotto that was much admired at a recent Eight Things to Eat Before You Die dinner, in partnership with the Irish food importer Vanilla Venture.
But even if you don't pair it with such rarified ingredients as summer truffles, this rice is significantly different from most Carnarolis I've tried. It is bigger- grained and firmer in texture, even when fully cooked. Therein lies the rub: you'll have to be prepared to spend an extra few minutes stirring the pot, as it takes longer to cook. It is, however, much less likely than some risotto rice to stick together in those final moments of cooking.
If you can't justify a trip to Harvey Nichols at Dundrum Town Centre just to buy rice, call the food hall on 01-2910488 and buy it by mail order.